Adrian Shanker, founder and executive director of the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center, looks on as Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski signs an ordinance into law banning conversion therapy in the city. (Sarah Cassi | For lehighvalleylive.com)

Adrian Shanker, founder and executive director of the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center, looks on as Allentown Mayor Ed Pawlowski signs an ordinance into law banning conversion therapy in the city. (Sarah Cassi | For lehighvalleylive.com)()

With the mayor's stroke of a pen, Allentown has officially banned conversion therapy for minors in the city.

The law prohibits licensed mental health professionals from counseling, practices, or treatments that seek to change a minor's sexual orientation or gender identity.

Officials said Allentown is now the second municipality in the state, and 60th in the country, to ban the practice.

City council unanimously passed the ordinance Wednesday night, and the legislation was signed Thursday afternoon at the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center, 522 W. Maple St.

"Everyone was on board," said Councilwoman Candida Affa. "I can't be more proud of all of my colleagues."

Affa compared the unanimous support and chambers packed with supporters, to 2002 when council voted 5-2 to add sexual orientation and gender identity as prohibited bases of discrimination.

"We've grown," she said.

Adrian Shanker, founder and executive director of the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center in Allentown, said the health bureau polled local pediatricians about conversion therapy and found "this is an issue here, happening in our community."

The unanimous support shows "Allentown is a place we can all be proud to live and work in, a place that we should be proud to think of as a progressive city, a place where LGBT people are treated with dignity and respect."

Violators would lose their business licenses. An appeal would be heard by a board comprised of two citizens, one medical professional, one member of city council and the director of the city health bureau or a representative.